Arthur prepared himself for the worst, filled with a burning determination that pressed against his chest like a weight, yet also pushed his weary legs forward. He wandered deeper into the woods, not with the intention of fleeing or seeking shelter, but to find a Rhino beast—yes, that same hulking monster—to attack and kill. The thought itself felt insane, but desperation, pride, and survival instincts often pushed people to areas of madness they never expected to reach.
Firstly, he knew he required a form of offense—something capable of breaching the absurdly thick armor-like hide of those creatures. However, as he trudged forward, the reality hit him harder than he expected: such a task was nearly impossible with the crude options available to him.
Arthur placed a hand under his chin, lowering his gaze as he fell into silent contemplation. The sun filtered through the leaves above, scattering golden rays across his thoughtful face.
"If I decide to use a piece of wood sharpened into a makeshift spear," he muttered, half to himself, "it would only harm vulnerable parts of the Rhino but not pierce the armor… And how many beasts would willingly show their vulnerable parts?"
The more he thought, the more the idea sounded like a death wish rather than a combat strategy.
No, wood was definitely not a suitable weapon—not for attacking a creature whose hide looked more like forged metal than something grown from flesh.
Rocks? Yes, rocks thick enough could be used to attack the Rhino, but even that thought fell apart almost immediately. He lacked the strength necessary to lift a large enough rock, let alone swing it with the force required to even leave a dent. The Rhino's armor wasn't just thick; it was unreasonably durable, almost unfair, like a boss monster designed specifically to crush low-level players.
And then, in the middle of his spiraling thoughts, a realization flew into his head.
As an author—someone who once lived in another world and wrote countless stories with complicated power scales—how on earth had he not thought about this sooner?
Arthur walked up to the nearest tree and sat down beneath its shade. His legs trembled in relief as he finally granted them a moment of rest after all the trekking.
'If I can activate the Powers of the Darwan of this world,' he thought, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, 'I would gain an upper hand against the beast.'
How could he have been so foolish from the very beginning? Perhaps it was like that common saying—watching a football match was completely different from playing on the field.
Was that how it went?
Well, close enough.
Arthur shrugged and opened his mouth, speaking clearly into the quiet woods.
"System, activate."
A soft blue shimmer sparkled before him, forming a floating notification screen.
[What does the user need]
Arthur's heart warmed at the sight. This—this was real progress. This was the turning point.
"Show me my stats."
The screen shifted.
Name: Arthur Castigir
Level: 1
Race: Elf
Title: Darwan
[Stats]
*Body: 1/10
*Mana: 10/10
Innate: Infinite Dark
Arthur's eyes widened in amazement. This was… a lot. A massive amount of information he wished he had known earlier.
If he had seen this from the beginning, he would have long since planned his moves differently, maybe even avoided several life-threatening encounters already passed.
'I should stop viewing this as a normal life,' he thought deeply. 'I need to start treating this like my second life—seriously, and with purpose.'
Now that the display was open, he tapped on the Darwan title to reveal more information. To his expectations, the panel responded.
[Darwan: In the world of Mages, each color signifies their own element. However, the Darwan is dark, signifying Darkness—magic that swallows all other magic.]
Arthur nodded softly, absorbing every word.
'So this is why the Darwan Lineage is so powerful. Our abilities surpass the other types… Which also means there aren't many of us. A rare lineage like this would definitely be put under watch—or worse, put under a leash for balance.'
Arthur scoffed, and his lips curled into a mischievous smirk.
'To hell with a freaking leash. I'd rather become the MC of this world. Now that sounds refreshing. I'll force my way to the top.'
Excitement bubbling inside him, Arthur tapped the remaining notifications for more information about his current self.
Body stats measured overall physical strength; each point added meant he grew stronger. Mana was self-explanatory. And finally… Innate magic—Infinite Dark.
'This sounds more like a cheat skill,' Arthur thought as he tapped on it.
A ding echoed softly.
[Would you like to learn Infinite Dark?]
Arthur tapped Accept instantly.
A light sensation washed through his head, like cool water clearing fog from his thoughts. The clarity lasted only a few seconds before fading completely—but the knowledge remained deeply rooted within his mind.
[You have successfully learnt Infinite Dark]
[You have gained a new skill]
[Eye of the Author]
Arthur furrowed his brows, repeating the system's words slowly.
"Eye of the Author."
He tapped the notification for more details…
But nothing appeared.
At first, the blank description stunned him. But after everything he had already discovered, this minor inconvenience barely mattered. Skills revealed themselves in time. He could figure it out later.
For now, he had a beast to hunt.
---
Arthur retraced his steps, moving carefully through the forest, searching for the spot where he'd originally been attacked by the Rhino beast. It took longer than he expected—every tree looked the same, every patch of dirt equally disturbed—but eventually he found it.
A wide clearing stretched before him. Several trees had been smashed or toppled over. Deep, heavy footprints pounded into the ground led further into the woods, marking the beast's path. The trail itself seemed almost alive, whispering threats of what awaited ahead.
But it was his lead.
So he followed.
Every step was cautious as he walked the path, his eyes darting left and right, searching for even the slightest sign of the creature. His plan was simple:
See the beast before it saw him.
Then strike first with surprise.
If he was lucky, he might survive—barely.
Time passed, minutes blending together as the canopy dimmed above him. The deeper he went, the more his heart trembled with a quiet, persistent fear. Still, he kept his sanity steady and refused to falter.
And then… he found what he was looking for.
Or rather—what he was looking for found him.
Without warning, the earth exploded beneath his feet. A pair of massive horns shot upward, aiming directly at his groin with lethal precision, intending to skewer him and tear him apart.
Arthur's instincts fired instantly.
He leapt back—barely—feeling the sharp horns slice through the air in front of him.
A single mistake, even a tiny hesitation, would have left him dead.
He moved back several steps, watching in horrified awe as the Rhino beast clawed its way out from under the ground. Its massive frame burst out of the small tunnel it had created underground, dirt scattering everywhere.
Once fully above ground, its cold bestial gaze locked onto Arthur.
'This monster hides itself in the ground… such forms of mundane treachery,' Arthur thought, gulping as he tightened his fists and braced for the next attack.
But the Rhino didn't charge immediately.
Its massive body froze the moment it saw Arthur's hands—hands now wrapped in swirling, curly streams of dark energy. The beast's eyes widened, not in aggression… but in fear.
It wasn't staring at prey.
No!
It was staring at something far more dangerous.
It was staring at a Darwan.